Forget the groundhog, weather expert says

2:15 AM,
Feb. 2, 2013

Written by

Thomas Sumner
tsumner@thecalifornian.com

For more than 125 years, the world has held its collective breath every Feb. 2 as a six-pound rodent from Punxsutawney, Pa., predicts the weather. While Punxsutawney Phil has gained a national celebrity usually reserved for television stars, real weather experts say the groundhog's predictions are hogwash.

"It's entertaining, but it doesn't have anything to do with meteorology," said Austin Cross, a Monterey-based meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The yearly celebration of Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, Pa., dates back to 1886. According to folklore, if the ...